Now, this level—that of the “incomplete tzaddik” who “knows evil”—is subdivided into myriads of levels, consisting of [varying degrees in] the quality of the minute remaining evil [deriving] from [any] one of the four “evil elements” of which the animal soul is composed (see ch. 1).
וְהִנֵּה, מַדְרֵגָה זוֹ מִתְחַלֶּקֶת לְרִבְבוֹת מַדְרֵגוֹת בְּעִנְיַן בְּחִינַת מִיעוּט הָרָע הַנִּשְׁאָר מֵאַחַת מֵאַרְבַּע יְסוֹדוֹת הָרָעִים,
[The subdivision] also takes into account the degree to which [the remaining evil] is nullified [in the good] because of its minuteness,
וּבְעִנְיַן בִּיטּוּלוֹ בְּמִיעוּטוֹ
whether in sixty [times as much good], for example, or in a thousand, or ten thousand, and so on.
בְּשִׁשִּׁים עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, אוֹ בְּאֶלֶף וּרְבָבָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל.
These various sublevels in the ranks of “incomplete tzaddikim” are the levels of the numerous tzaddikim found in all generations, all of whom belong to the category of the “incomplete tzaddik,”
וְהֵן הֵם בְּחִינוֹת צַדִּיקִים הָרַבִּים שֶׁבְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת,
as we find in the Gemara, “Eighteen thousand tzaddikim stand before the Holy One, blessed be He.”5
כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא, דִּתַמְנֵיסַר אַלְפֵי צַדִּיקֵי קָיְימֵי קַמֵּיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא,
Thus, though many attain the level of tzaddik, they are in fact “incomplete tzaddikim.”
But concerning the rank of the “complete tzaddik,” Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai’s statement applies: “I have seen ‘superior men’ (bnei aliyah), and they are but few.”6
אַךְ עַל מַעֲלַת צַדִּיק גָּמוּר, הוּא שֶׁאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאִי: "רָאִיתִי בְּנֵי עֲלִיָּה וְהֵם מוּעָטִים כוּ'",
The reason that [the complete tzaddikim] are called bnei aliyah (literally: “men of ascent”) is that they convert evil and make it ascend to holiness.
שֶׁלָּכֵן נִקְרָאִים "בְּנֵי עֲלִיָּה", שֶׁמְּהַפְּכִין הָרָע וּמַעֲלִים אוֹתוֹ לִקְדוּשָּׁה,
It is similarly written in the introduction to the Zohar 7 that when Rabbi Chiyya wished to ascend to the heichal (heavenly shrine) of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, he heard a voice come out and say:
כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר בַּהַקְדָּמָה, שֶׁכְּשֶׁרָצָה רַבִּי חִיָּיא לַעֲלוֹת לְהֵיכַל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאִי, שָׁמַע קָלָא נָפִיק וְאָמַר:
“Whichever of you, before coming here, have converted the darkness of the world to light (holiness) and [have transformed] the bitter taste of their animal soul and evil inclination to sweetness (holiness)…[only these may enter].”
"מַאן מִנְּכוֹן דִּי חֲשׁוֹכָא מְהַפְּכָן לִנְהוֹרָא וְטָעֲמִין מְרִירוּ לְמִיתְקָא עַד לָא יֵיתוּן הָכָא וְכוּ'":
Another reason for their designation of bnei aliyah:8
וְעוֹד נִקְרָאִים בְּנֵי עֲלִיָּה,
Even their divine service in the area of “doing good,” in their fulfillment of Torah and its mitzvot, is for the sake of Above, and their service is directed toward a most high level, toward the loftiest heights.
מִפְּנֵי שֶׁגַּם עֲבוֹדָתָם בִּבְחִינַת "וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב" בְּקִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ, הוּא לְצוֹרֶךְ גָּבוֹהַּ וּמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה עַד רוּם הַמַּעֲלוֹת,
[Their divine service] is not [intended] merely to attach themselves to G-d by serving Him through Torah and mitzvot so as to quench the thirst of their soul which thirsts for G-d,
וְלֹא כְּדֵי לְדָבְקָה בּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בִּלְבָד לְרַוּוֹת צִמְאוֹן נַפְשָׁם הַצְּמֵאָה לַה',
The divine service of tzaddikim of lower levels may indeed be for the purpose of stilling their thirst for G-d and their desire to cleave to Him, for indeed, the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot satisfies these needs.
as it is written: “Ho, exclaims the prophet, all who are thirsty for G-dliness should go to the waters of Torah,”9 i.e., let them engage in Torah, which is likened to water,
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם",
as is explained elsewhere, that the “thirsty ones” of this verse refer to those who thirst for G-dliness.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר,
The prophet’s words prove this point. Were he addressing those who thirst for Torah, he need not exclaim “Ho” nor direct them to its “waters.” Whoever thirsts for Torah will find it readily available for study. Rather, the prophet is addressing those who thirst for G-d, advising them to slake their thirst for Him through Torah, which binds one to G-d.
The “men of ascent,” however, whom we have been discussing, are beyond this level of divine service. They do not study Torah or perform mitzvot with the intention of quenching their own thirst for G-dliness, for such service is—in a subtle sense—self-serving, as it is motivated by one’s desire for a certain spiritual profit, namely, the bliss of closeness to G-d.
Rather, their service of G-d is as the Tikkunei Zohar10 explains that which our Sages have said: “Who is a pious one (chassid)? He who is benevolent (mit’chassed) toward his Creator (kono).” The Tikkunei Zohar comments that kono (usually translated as “his Creator”) is here to be interpreted as “his nest” (derived from the root ken—“nest”), and thus, the Chasid is he who is benevolent “with his Nest”—i.e., his Source, G-d. This “benevolence” toward G-d consists of
אֶלָּא כִּדְפֵירְשׁוּ בַּתִּיקּוּנִים: "אֵיזֶהוּ חָסִיד – הַמִּתְחַסֵּד עִם קוֹנוֹ"; עִם קַן דִּילֵיהּ,
“uniting the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Shechinah (the Divine Presence) so that the light of this union reach and be felt even in the lowest worlds.”
לְיַיחֲדָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים,
As is also explained in Raaya Mehemna on Parashat Tetze: “In the manner of a son who exerts himself for his father and mother, whom he loves more than himself, [more than] his own nefesh, ruach, and neshamah
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא פָּרָשַׁת תֵּצֵא: "כִּבְרָא דְּאִשְׁתַּדֵּל בָּתַר אֲבוֹי וְאִימֵּיהּ, דְּרָחִים לוֹן יַתִּיר מִגַּרְמֵיהּ וְנַפְשֵׁיהּ וְרוּחֵיהּ וְנִשְׁמְתֵיהּ כוּ',
and who sacrifices his life for their sake to redeem them, should they be held in captivity,” and as is also explained elsewhere.
וּמָסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ לְמִיתָה עֲלַיְיהוּ לְמִיפְרַק לוֹן כוּ'", וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
Such is the divine service of “men of ascent”: it is wholly altruistic, motivated only by a desire to please G-d and make His presence felt everywhere.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain that the two aforementioned interpretations of the term “men of ascent” accord with each other and are in fact complementary.
It is a Kabbalistic axiom that the “elevation of mahn” (מ"ן—initials of mayin nukvin, lit., “feminine waters”) effects a corresponding “descent of mahd” (מ"ד—initials of mayin dechurin, lit., “masculine waters”). This means that the arousal of the “feminine” level, i.e., the recipient (which in our case means the efforts of man below in actions directed “upward” toward G-d), causes a reciprocal arousal of the “masculine” level, i.e., the giver (meaning, in our case, G-d’s benevolence as it “flows downward” and is bestowed upon man).
Applying this to the service of “men of ascent,” we find the following. That aspect of their service mentioned in the first interpretation—that they elevate evil and convert it to good—constitutes an “ascent of mahn.” The aspect mentioned in the second interpretation—that by their service of love, they draw down G-d’s Presence upon earth—constitutes a “descent of mahd,” for every mitzvah that they perform (as a channel for the descent of G-d’s Presence) is an expression of G-d’s benevolence. Thus, the two interpretations are complementary, since the “ascent of mahn” is what causes the “descent of mahd,” as stated above.
(The Alter Rebbe employs Kabbalistic terms in his explanation, which are explained in Chasidut at length; they will become clearer in the course of further study.)
In the Alter Rebbe’s words:
(11Both interpretations are complementary, for by refining [the good found in] kelipat nogah, as the “men of ascent” do by converting their animal soul (which is derived from kelipat nogah) to good, one elevates “feminine waters” (mahn),
[וּשְׁנֵיהֶם עוֹלִים בְּקָנֶה אֶחָד, כִּי עַל יְדֵי הַבֵּירוּרִים שֶׁמְּבָרְרִים מִנּוֹגַהּ מַעֲלִים "מַיִּין נוּקְבִין",
effecting unions in the higher realms, so as to cause “masculine waters” (mahd) to descend to this world.
וְנַעֲשִׂים יִחוּדִים עֶלְיוֹנִים לְהוֹרִיד "מַיִּין דְּכוּרִין",
These [“masculine waters”] are the “waters” of kindness that flow into and are contained in each of the 248 positive mitzvot, which are all in the nature of “kindness,” or benevolence, and “masculine waters.”
שֶׁהֵם הֵם מֵימֵי הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁבְּכָל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה מֵרַמַ"ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה, שֶׁכּוּלָּן הֵן בְּחִינַת חֲסָדִים וּ"מַיִּין דְּכוּרִין",
This term “masculine waters” as applied to mitzvot means that the mitzvot draw G-d’s holiness from above, i.e., from the higher realms downward, so that [G-d’s holiness] be clothed in and revealed within the lowest realms, i.e., our physical world, as explained elsewhere.) Thus, the two interpretations of the term “men of ascent” are complementary.
דְּהַיְינוּ, הַמְשָׁכַת קְדוּשַּׁת אֱלֹהוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר]:
In one tzaddik, the remaining evil may consist of the element of Water; in another, the evil may consist of a spark of the element of Fire; and so on. This subdivision of levels is qualitative, based on the type of remaining evil.
The Alter Rebbe will now describe (as it were) a quantitative subdivision, depending on the degree to which the evil loses its identity within the good. In one tzaddik, the vestigial evil may be such that the proportion of good to evil could be described as 60:1; the evil in another tzaddik may be more minute so that it is overwhelmed by a proportion of good that is 1000:1; and so on.
Yet, to borrow a term from the law concerning nonkosher foodstuffs, where in certain cases of error, the rule is that even a preponderance of 60 parts (kosher) to 1 (nonkosher) is sufficient to render the entire mixture kosher (since the nonkosher food is no longer capable of tainting the mixture with its flavor), we may likewise say in our case that a preponderance of good over evil to the degree of 60:1 is also capable of preventing the expression and perception of the remaining evil.
In the Alter Rebbe’s words: